WASHINGTON (AP) — A top House Democrat says the job-creating effort envisioned by President Barack Obama could cost anywhere from $75 billion to $150 billion.
Steny Hoyer says those are the "figures that are being talked about."
Obama said today he wants new spending for highway and bridge construction, for small business tax cuts, and for making millions of homes more energy-efficient.
And additional money would be needed for separate safety-net initiatives that Obama wants to see approved -- such as extending unemployment benefits for the long-term jobless and providing them with health insurance subsidies. Some lawmakers put the total cost of the new proposals at $200 billion or more.
A White House economic adviser says the administration is considering spending $50 billion on infrastructure projects such as roads and bridges and water projects. He says other figures will be worked out with Congress.
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<<APPHOTO DCSW111 (12/08/09)>>
: President Barack Obama speaks on the economy at the Brookings Institution in Washington, Tuesday, Dec. 8, 2009.
